Name: How to Make Lox
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 2885 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs salmon filet (use Atlantic, Sockeye, King or Cohoe salmon ** see important notes below!); 1 cup salt (use sea salt or Kosher salt, not table salt.); 1/2 cup brown sugar

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You can make lox at home? Yes, you can! If you always wanted to learn how to make lox at home, you are in the right place, with this step by step tutorial.

Sliced lox on board with colorful tomatoes and cucumbers.

What is lox?

Traditionally lox was just a salt- brined salmon filet.

There are many different types of lox. They are all named for a method of brining and preparation. Nova lox have a mild brine and then are cold smoked.

Bagel and lox appetizer spread on marble board.

The other types are Scotch, Nordic, Nova Scotia and Gravlax, each has a slightly different brine and most are then cold smoked others are just cured in the salt.

Each type of lox have different flavors and herbs and spices added, such as dill, juniper berries, coriander, caraway seeds, dry mustard and black pepper.

Cold smoking is smoking that is done at a temperature of less than 80°F. This is a bit more difficult to do at home, because most consumer type smokers only do 100°F at the lowest.

Homemade lox are so easy and delicious you will wonder why you have been a ton of money on them at the grocery store.

Cucumber and salmon appetizers on wooden board.

Is there a difference between lox and smoked salmon?

Yes. Smoked salmon is first brined for a shorter time and then hot smoked at a higher temperature. Lox are generally not smoked or some types are cold smoked. Usually at low temperature, around 175°F. You want the salmon to be cooked to a temperature of 145°F, until done.

Smoked salmon does not have the silky texture that lox have. It has a more chewy texture.

What salmon to use

The best salmon species to use are Atlantic, Sockeye, King or Coho salmon, including the belly meat. They have a higher fat content.

If shopping for salmon at a grocer, buy frozen salmon. Then thaw it and continue with the recipe.

Don’t use salmon from the fish department that has been thawed.

A word about eating raw, or undercooked fish

The US FDA has guidelines for consuming raw or undercooked fish and seafood. They recommend using previously frozen seafood If you choose to consume raw fish…. “one rule of thumb is to eat fish that has been previously frozen.“

Furthermore, there are specific groups of individuals that should avoid raw or undercooked seafood. See article for more information on who should avoid undercooked foods.

What you need

Salmon filet
Salt
brown sugar
plastic wrap and aluminum foil
container large enough to place salmon in

Ingredients needed; salmon, brown sugar, salt.

How to make it

Rinse and dry salmon by patting with paper towels.
Mix salt and sugar in a bowl.
Lay plastic wrap in container large enough to hold salmon, laying it flat large plastic storage container of even a rectangular glass baking dish work well. Sprinkle salt & sugar on plastic. Top with salmon. Add remaining salt & sugar to the top of the salmon.

Salt & sugar mixed in bowl. Salmon placed in plastic wrap topped with salt & sugar mix.

Place something flat over the top of salmon and weight it down. Place in the fridge and let it cure for 2 days.

When you take the salmon out of the refrigerator, unwrap it. Then rinse the salmon very well.

Once the salmon is rinsed, slice with a filet knife across the salmon into very thin slices. (Knife should be parallel to your cutting board.)

If you don’t have a filet knife, you can also dice the cured salmon.

How to eat lox

One of the most famous ways to enjoy lox is with bagels and cream cheese. The traditional Jewish delis in New York City always have bagels, cream cheese and lox on the menu.

This is usually served with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion slices and capers.

Close up slice of cucumber topped with cream cheese and lox.

Lox and cream cheese make a delicious dip for crackers or bread points. Add some colorful fresh herbs, like fresh dill and fresh parsley and some orange zest or lemon zest. Totally delicious.

You can also make a simple appetizer with slices of cucumber, smeared with cream cheese and topped with salmon and a sprinkle of fresh chives.

They’re also delicious on a cracker with a slice of cheese!

How long will it last?

It should last at least seven days, if refrigerated. For longer storage, place in bags and freeze up to 4 or 5 months.

Other delicious salmon recipes

Hand grabbing bagel with lox. Sliced salmon on marble board with tomatoes, cucumbers and bagels.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe today for How to make lox. They are incredibly delicious and easy and you can save yourself a boatload of money!

So make some today!

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

Cucumber appetizers with homemade lox and cream cheese.

How to Make Lox

You can make lox at home? Yes, you can! If you always wanted to learn how to make lox at home, you are in the right place, with this step by step tutorial.

See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Brining time: 2 days

Total Time: 2 days 5 minutes

Servings: appetizers

Calories: 34kcal

Author: Beth Neels

Cost: $30

Ingredients

▢ 2 lbs salmon filet use Atlantic, Sockeye, King or Cohoe salmon ** see important notes below!
▢ 1 cup salt use sea salt or Kosher salt, not table salt.
▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

Rinse salmon and pat dry. ** See important notes below.
Dry salmon well by blotting with paper towel.
Mix salt and sugar.
Cut plastic wrap large enough to wrap entire piece of salmon.
Place plastic wrap in large container, big enough to hold salmon filet.
Spread salt mixture all on top of salmon.
Wrap with plastic.
Wrap with aluminum foil.
Place a heavy weight on top of salmon.
Store in refrigerator 2 days to cure.
Once cured, rinse salmon very well and pat dry.
Slice salmon very thin, with filet knife, along the top of the fish with knife parallel to board.
See notes for storage tips.

knife, filet

food storage, rectangular, large

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Notes

** Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

For longer storage, store in plastic bags in freezer, for up to 4 months.

See this article from the US FDA for important notes on eating raw or undercooked fish.

Use only frozen salmon fillets and thaw them at home. Do not use pre-thawed salmon from your grocer.

Lox can be made with fresh caught salmon, as well. Use only Atlantic, sockeye, King or Cohoe salmon.